Overview
What is Creating Pathways?
Humara Bachpan Trust works towards creating pathways for children, adolescents, and youth whose education is interrupted for different reasons — bringing them back to the mainstreaming process. Remedial education, back-to-school programmes, and vocational education are some of the ways the organisation paves a path towards an employable future. This thematic area spans Bhubaneswar, Malanpur (Madhya Pradesh), Sambalpur, and Sundargarh.
Framework
Five Interconnected Pathways
Rather than treating education as a single intervention, HBT weaves together five interconnected pathways — each responding to a distinct but related need of the communities it serves.
Identify & Reach
Proactively mapping out-of-school children, dropouts, illiterate women, and unemployed youth through community surveys, door-to-door outreach, and adolescent club networks.
Bridge the Learning Gap
Through remedial and non-formal education at resource centres, HBT bridges the academic deficit of children who have missed years of schooling, preparing them to re-enter or advance.
Re-connect with Formal Systems
The School Chalo Abhiyan works with families, schools, and local authorities to re-enrol dropout children — addressing both the demand and supply side of education.
Build Skills & Open Career Doors
HBT facilitates access to ITIs, Polytechnics, and CIPET under Skill India. Through career guidance camps and the Fellowship Programme, adolescents pursue sustainable livelihoods.
Empower Women through Literacy
HBT runs Adult Literacy Programmes targeting women who missed education in childhood — equipping them with reading, writing, numeracy, and life skills.
Programme Components & Outcomes
What We Do & What We’ve Achieved
Implemented since 2020 in the villages of Ghirongi and Tilori in Malanpur district, Project Parivartan addresses the full spectrum of educational need — from remedial learning to adult literacy and digital skills — for marginalised children, women, and youth.
- Remedial classes for Classes 6–12 with board exam preparation
- Adult Literacy Programme for women who missed schooling
- Digital literacy — MS Office, internet, online forms, digital payments
- Career guidance including polytechnic and pharmacy admissions
- Self-defence training for adolescent girls
- Up-gradation of school and community educational infrastructure
HBT conducts the ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ wherein families and children are counselled and sensitised for re-admitting children into the formal education system. Following COVID-19 school closures, the campaign was scaled up — identifying children irregular to schools and bringing them back through community outreach, home visits, and stakeholder engagement.
In partnership with UNICEF, HBT implemented a focused school re-enrolment drive across four tribal blocks of Sundargarh district — combining door-to-door visits, SMC engagement, and mobilisation with Block Development Officers to identify and re-enrol dropout children.
| Block | Children Identified | Re-enrolled |
|---|---|---|
| Sadar Block | 31 | 16 |
| Lephirpada Block | 25 | 13 |
| Hemgir Block | 35 | 20 |
| Tangerpali Block | 30 | 12 |
| Total – Sundargarh | 121 | 61 |
HBT has built partnerships with the Directorate of Technical Education and ITIs under the ‘Skilled in Odisha’ initiative to enrol underprivileged students into technical courses — preparing them as skilled or semi-skilled workers in trades such as Dress Designing, Electrician, Welding, Food & Beverage, Computer, IoT, and more.
Career guidance camps and exposure visits are organised before every academic session. In 2019, an Inclusive Skill Mela engaged 170+ youth including transgender persons and persons with disability.
The Fellowship Programme supports students from low socio-economic backgrounds who are unable to continue education due to financial constraints. Students receive 50% sponsorship to pursue professional courses in engineering, BBA, media & communication — identifying the most deserving candidates from urban slum communities in Bhubaneswar.
Voices of Change
Stories That Inspire
Behind every number is a person whose life has been transformed. These are some of their stories.
Vandana had to discontinue her education after middle school due to family resistance — her mother believed further education was pointless for girls. A Project Parivartan teacher visited her home and convinced her father to allow her to study at the Parivartan Resource Centre. With dedicated teacher support and guidance on her weak areas, Vandana achieved 63% in her High School Certificate examinations — instantly boosting her confidence and self-worth.
Deep down I always wanted to complete my studies. The teachers at the Parivartan Centre made that possible.
Rakhi struggled to cope with studies after the pandemic disrupted her family’s finances. Enrolled at the Parivartan Resource Centre for free tuitions, her teachers paid special attention to English and Mathematics — subjects she had previously dreaded. She scored 74% in her High School exam and went on to take up Biology in Class 11, moving towards her dream of becoming a doctor.
I want to become a doctor when I grow up. It was all because of the help from HBT that I was able to score such good marks.
Asha came supplementary in two subjects in her Class 10 exams due to personal health reasons. With her family unable to afford tuitions, she enrolled in free online classes for Physics and Chemistry at the Parivartan Centre. With consistent support from teachers and the Project Manager, she cleared her supplementary exams and is now pursuing Class 11 with Science.
I am now hopeful about my bright future and express my heartfelt gratitude to all staff of Humara Bachpan Trust.
Poonam, the youngest of four siblings, walked 3 kilometres daily to school while managing household chores. When HBT began working in Tilori, the team recognised her potential and supported her with digital tuition, counselling, and peer study groups. In the 2024 Higher Secondary Board Exams, she scored 322/500 (64.4%), passing with distinction. She is now enrolled in B.Sc. Biology.
The support I received gave me the confidence to believe in myself again. I want to study further and help others in need.
Leela Pal’s life was full of struggles because she could neither read nor write. Married at 15, she lived in an environment where daughters-in-law were not allowed to leave the house. Through the Adult Literacy Programme at the Project Parivartan Learning Centre, Leela learned to read, write, and develop basic numeracy skills — and now helps her children with their homework.
I can do basic accounting of money using addition and subtraction. Earlier I was getting cheated when selling milk due to my lack of numerical understanding. Not anymore.
Sukumari, 34, had never known how to read or write. A mother of three, she could not fill a bank form, write her name, or help her growing children with their studies. When HBT started the Adult Literacy Programme in her village, she enrolled alongside 68 other women and has since learned to write her name, sign documents, and read simple sentences.
The one thing that makes me the most happy is that now I am able to help my children with their studies. The adult literacy programme by HBT has made a bright future possible for me.
Neetu Pal, a homemaker from Tilori, grew up in a humble farming family. Despite a strong desire to study, poverty and traditional expectations held her back. After enrolling in the Adult Literacy Programme, she learned to read newspapers, write her name, and gained skills in budgeting, health, stress management, and legal rights. Today she is a role model in her community.
I never imagined I would be able to read, write, or help my children study. This programme has changed my life and given me hope for the future.
Manu Pal, 15, brilliant in her studies, had never touched a computer. Her father — a shepherd — could not afford private coaching. She enrolled in Project Parivartan’s free digital literacy classes and progressed from never having used a device to confidently using Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. She learned to send emails, conduct research, and navigate the internet.
To go from never having used a computer to independently browsing the internet and working on office applications — it felt like a whole new world had opened up for me.
Tulasi, 17, failed Class 8 after her father left the family and her mother — a construction worker — could barely sustain them. She lived at home doing household chores for three years. When HBT sensitised youth about free government ITI courses, Tulasi studied Dress Designing at ITI and has since established her own in-house dress design and stitching unit.
I was overjoyed to hear that there are courses for an 8th pass student at ITI too. It felt like a new door of opportunities has opened.
Soni, 19, dropped out after Class 10 due to financial hardship with her parents discussing early marriage. Identified at an adolescent club meeting, she was enrolled in Government ITI Bhubaneswar for a Computer Trade course. In 2024, she was selected through campus recruitment at Tata Electronics System Solutions (TESS) in Karnataka, earning Rs. 19,903 per month in the iPhone manufacturing unit.
Soni and her parents are extremely proud and grateful for the support received from Humara Bachpan Trust, which helped her transform her dreams into reality and become financially independent.
Rupak, a passionate child leader from the ‘Maa Mangala’ child club, grew up in a family barely managing with a small tea shop and domestic work income. With HBT’s fellowship support and a 50% sponsorship from CUTM, he enrolled in BBA and became class representative, consistently performing at the top of his class.
With the support from Humara Bachpan Trust and the scholarship support, I could take admission in BBA. My dream is to hold a very good position in a big company at some point.
Badal lost his father in an accident in 2011. His mother, working as an Anganwadi helper, was the sole breadwinner. Badal and his brother attended school during the day and worked in a florist shop in the evenings. Selected as the first Dhiren Patnaik Fellow, he pursued Diploma in Electrical Engineering at CUTM — topping his class and being selected as a Junior Engineer through campus placement.
Thank you so much Humara Bachpan for standing with me during my difficult times and helping me fulfil my dreams of becoming an engineer.
At a Glance
Cumulative Impact · 2018–2025
Across years of Creating Pathways, HBT has reached thousands of lives — mainstreaming education, building skills, and opening dignified livelihood pathways for the most marginalised.
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
— Humara Bachpan Trust · Creating Pathways Initiative